Wall-cleaning compound.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT M. FULLER, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARVEY B. FULLER, OF SAME PLACE.

WALL-CLEANING COM POUND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,497, dated October 10, 1899.

Application filed February 3, 1896. Renewed March 30, 1899. Serial No. 711,172. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT M. FULLER, of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Detergent Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates toimprovements in detergent compounds designed for the drycleaning of walls, its object being to provide a composition which is not subject to deterioration, but may be kept unimpaired for an indefinite period and easily and quickly made ready for use without the application of heat.

To this end my invention consists of a dry powder prepared by grinding the residue ob tained after evaporating the water from a mass consisting of water, flour, or similar starchy material, and a suitable chemical salt or alkali, preferably sodium carbonate, although other salts and alkalies-such as sodium sulfate, magnesiumsulfate, potassium carbonate, and sodium hydratemay be employed in lieu thereof, but less efficiently. Theseingredients are compounded in substantially the proportions and manner following: The preferred proportions, which, however,

- may be varied somewhat, are about 56.4 parts of flour, 42.3 parts of water, and 1.3 parts crystallized sodium carbonate. Then a neutral salt is used, its relative quantity should'be about double, and when a salt or alkali containing no water of crystallization is used its amount should be correspondinglyless. If a caustic alkali is used, its proportion should be about .25, the amount of the other ingredients being proportionately increased. 1 first mix these ingredients intoa dough or pasty mass and then heat the same until the Water is absorbed by the starch-granules and the mass is no longer sticky; It is then thoroughly dried and made ready for the market by grinding the residue to powder. When desired to prepare the same for use, asufi'icient quantity of powder is mixed with about its weight of cold water, thus reducing it to a plastic mass. The alkaline or saline ingredientis added to render the mass somewhat friable and is an essential element,as it serves to make the consistency of the composition such that when it is rubbed over a wall or similar surface minute rolls are formed and becomes glazed over and worthless for cleaning purposes. There are certain salts which are not suitable for use as the saline ingredient. For example, sodium chlorid, alum,

aluminiu m sulfate, and potassium nitrate will I not produce the desired efiect. I therefore employ and wish to cover in this patent the use only of such salts and alkalies as will produce a composition of the described consistency.

I claim--- 1. The powder made by grinding the resi due obtained by evaporating the water from a cooked mass,consisting of a suitable starchy material, a suitable salt or alkali as specified,

and water, substantially in the proportions specified.

2. The powder, made by grinding the residue obtained by evaporating the water from a cooked mass, consisting of a starchy material, a suitable alkali or alkaline saltas specified, and water, substantially in the pro-- l portions specified.

3. The powder made from a mass consisting of flour, a suitable salt or alkali as specified, and water, which has been first heat-ed,

and then dried, and pulverized.

4. A detergent compound consisting of a plastic mass, made by mixing with cold water a powder made by grinding the residue obtained by evaporating the water from a cooked mass consisting of flour, a suitable salt or alkali as specified, and water, in substantially the proportions specified.

In' testimony whereof I aflix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

ALBERT M. FULLER.

Witnesses: v

H. S. JOHNSON, MINNIE L. THAUWALD. 

